2D barcode on checks to decrease non-conforming image percentages

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for processing checks using 2D barcodes are provided. A user submits a digital image of a check that includes a 2D barcode. The 2D barcode has embedded positional information of one or more check features which can be decoded and compared to the check features optically identified on the digital image of the check. From this, a set of rotational and scaling adjustments can be computed by comparing estimated positional information with the positional information of the one or more check features retrieved from the barcode. A more accurate representation of the check is then produced by applying the set of rotational and scaling adjustments to the digital image of the check. Once a more accurate representation of the check has been produced, the check can be electronically processed using a routing transit number found on the check.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate toelectronic image presentations. More specifically, various embodimentsof the present invention relate to using 2D barcodes on checks todecrease non-conforming image percentages.

BACKGROUND

Checks provide a safe and convenient method to transfer money betweenindividuals and companies. Typically, a checking account, or othersimilar account, must be opened at a financial institution and fundsdeposited. These funds are then available for withdrawal. The payor(e.g., the account owner) usually designates a payee (e.g., a merchantor seller), an amount payable on the check, and signs the check. As aresult, the check becomes negotiable and authorizes funds to bewithdrawn from the payor's account and transferred to the payee.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are described for using 2D barcodes on checks todecrease non-conforming image percentages. In some embodiments, adigital image of a check that has been remotely captured by a user canbe received. The digital image of the check can include a 2D barcodewith embedded positional information of one or more check features(e.g., signature line, a date line, a memo line, a check number, amagnetic ink character recognition code, an amount line, and/or anamount block). The positional information embedded within the 2D barcodeof the one or more check features can be decoded. In addition, one ormore check features on the digital image of the check can be opticallyidentified. Examples of positional information within the 2D barcodeinclude, but are not limited to, a size of the check, a distance to asignature line on the check, a distance to one or more edges of thecheck, a distance from an edge of the check to the top, bottom, start,or end of a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) code, and adistance to amount block on the check.

Based on the one or more check features that were optically identified,estimated positional information for the one or more check features canbe generated. A set of rotational and scaling adjustments can becomputed by comparing the estimated positional information with thepositional information of the one or more check features. A moreaccurate representation of the check can be produced by applying the setof rotational and scaling adjustments to the digital image of the check.Once a more accurate representation of the check has been produced, thecheck can be electronically processed using a routing transit numberfound on the check.

In some embodiments, the 2D barcode can also include one or more checkparameters. These check parameters can be decoded and used forprocessing, verification, and/or fraud prevention. Examples of checkparameters include, but are not limited to, an account indicator if thecheck is drawn from a business account or a personal account, a maximumamount allowed on the check, account information, a governmentidentifier, or an electronic watermark.

Account holder information can also be embedded in the 2D barcode.Examples of account holder information that can be embedded within the2D barcode include, but are not limited to, a driver's license number ofan account holder of the check, a representation of the signature,and/or a photo of the account holder. The account holder informationembedded within the 2D barcode can be decoded and presented to arecipient of the check (e.g., via a point of sale device).

Embodiments of the present invention also include computer-readablestorage media containing sets of instructions to cause one or moreprocessors to perform the methods, variations of the methods, and otheroperations described herein.

Various embodiments provide for a system comprising an image receivingmodule, a processing module, an estimation module, and an adjustmentmodule. The image receiving module can receive a digital image of acheck that has been remotely captured by a user (e.g., using a camera ona mobile phone). The digital image of the captured check includes a 2Dbarcode with embedded positional information of one or more checkfeatures (e.g., a signature line, a date line, a memo line, a checknumber, a magnetic ink character recognition code, an amount line,and/or an amount block).

The processing module decodes the positional information embedded withinthe 2D barcode and optically identifies the one or more check featureson the digital image of the check. The positional information caninclude the location, size of, and/or distance between any two elementsof a check. Examples of positional information include, but are notlimited to, a size of the check, a distance to a signature line on thecheck, a distance to one or more edges of the check, a distance from anedge of the check to the top, bottom, start, or end of a magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR) code, and a distance to amount block on thecheck.

The estimation module generates estimated positional information of theone or more check features that were optically identified and determinesa set of rotational and scaling adjustments. In accordance with variousembodiments, the set of rotational and scaling adjustments can bedetermined by comparing the estimated positional information with thepositional information of the one or more check features. The adjustmentmodule applies the set of rotational and scaling adjustments to thedigital image of the check to produce a more accurate representation ofthe check.

In one or more embodiments, the system can also include an accountdatabase and an accounting module. The account database can be used tostore a plurality of financial accounts of members of a membershiporganization. The user of the check processing system can be a member ofthe membership organization and can make deposits into a user accountthat is one of the plurality of financial accounts associated with theuser. The accounting module electronically processes the more accuraterepresentation of the check and deposits funds from the check into theuser account.

The system can include other modules and components such as aninformation module, a decoding module, a verification module, and/or apoint of sale device. The information module can be used to gatherinformation about the user and a user account where funds from the checkwill be deposited. The decoding module can decode the one or more checkparameters and account holder information embedded within the 2Dbarcode. The verification module can verify, during the processing ofthe check, the one or more check parameters that were decoded. The pointof sale device can present the account holder information to a recipientof the check.

Examples of check parameters include, but are not limited to, an accountindicator identifying if the check is drawn from a business account or apersonal account, a maximum amount allowed on the check, accountinformation, a government identifier, and/or an electronic watermark.Examples of account holder information include, but are not limited to,a driver's license number of an account holder of the check, arepresentation of the signature, and/or a photo of the account holder.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description, which shows and describesillustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, theinvention is capable of modifications in various aspects, all withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative innature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described and explainedthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an operating environment in which someembodiments of the present invention may be utilized;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a check with a 2D barcode that can beused in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components that can beincluded in a check processing system in accordance with variousembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a set of exemplary operations forelectronically processing a digital image of a check in accordance withsome embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a set of exemplary operations forgenerating a more accurate representation of a check in accordance withone or more embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a computer system with which someembodiments of the present invention may be utilized.

The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, thedimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded orreduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of thepresent invention. Similarly, some components and/or operations may beseparated into different blocks or combined into a single block for thepurposes of discussion of some of the embodiments of the presentinvention. Moreover, while the invention is amenable to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have beenshown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detailbelow. The intention, however, is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention isintended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systemsand methods for electronic image presentation. More specifically, someembodiments of the present invention use a 2D barcode to code checkinformation for electronic image presentation to decrease non-conformingimage rates. Remotely captured electronic images of checks can be takenat different locations (e.g., on a table, on a bed, etc) and underdifferent lighting conditions. Moreover, checks come in different sizes(e.g., corporate issue refund checks, standard personal checks, etc). Asa result, the check images that are submitted for processing can bedistorted (e.g., geometry transformations such as enlargement,reduction, and rotation; color distortions; etc) making electronic imageprocessing difficult, if not impossible.

Various embodiments of the present invention use 2D barcodes to providenecessary information about the account holder represented on the checkand the check parameters or features. This information can be used totransform the remote capture electronic image(s) into a more accuraterepresentation of the actual check. For example, suppose that image A isan electronic image of a check received from user of the system. Image Acan have geometric distortions, enlarged portions, reduced portions,rotational offsets, color distortions, and others when compared to theoriginal check that the user captured. Using a 2D barcode on the check,a more accurate image B can be produced. The more accurate image B, willreduce or eliminate the distortions found within image A and moreaccurately represent the original check and/or make electronicprocessing of the check more likely to be successful. As such, image Bis a more accurate image of the original check when one or more of thedistortions (i.e., the geometric distortions, enlarged portions, reducedportions, rotational offsets, color distortions, etc.) have been reducedor eliminated.

Examples of check parameters can include, but are not limited to, thesize of check, placement of key identifiers on check (signature line,MICR code, etc), business or personal account, largest amount allowed oncheck, account information, government identifiers such as electronicwatermarks for checks issues via IRS or other government agencies, andothers. Examples of account holder information can include personalinformation such as, but not limited to, driver's license number,signature, photo of the account holder, and others. This account holderinformation and/or the check parameters can be used in processing thecheck and in fraud prevention by transferring the information to a pointof sale device. For example, if a driver's license and picture isretrieved from the 2D barcode and displayed on a point of sale device,the operator of the device can use the picture and driver's licensenumber to determine if a transaction should be made.

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of thepresent invention may be practiced without some of these specificdetails.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an operating environment 100 in whichsome embodiments of the present invention may be utilized. Theembodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 allow userinteractions through various points of interaction such as, but notlimited to, dedicated terminals 110 (e.g., public terminal or kiosk),ATM networks 115 (e.g., interbank ATM network and intrabank ATMnetworks), mobile devices 120 (e.g., mobile phone), personal computers125, point of sale (POS) devices 130, and image capture devices 135.These points of interaction can include mechanisms for capturing images(e.g., a camera) and connect through network 140 to banking network 145and may run one or more applications or clients that allow a user tointeract with the banking network (e.g., by submitting a digital imageof a check for processing). Such applications may provide access toelectronic image check processing systems and interfaces along withtraditional banking functionality such as withdrawals, balanceinquiries, deposits, transfers, etc.

Dedicated terminals 110 such as public terminals/kiosks may be computersavailable to the public and/or specially designed kiosks that interactwith banking network 140. ATM networks 115 can be any set of ATMs in aninterbank ATM network and/or intrabank ATM network. Mobile devices 120may be cellular phones, smart phones (a smart phone being a cellularphone that has capabilities and features such as, but not limited to,internet access, a full keyboard, email access, Wi-Fi connectioncapabilities, BLUETOOTH connectivity, or any other functionality of acomputer), tablet computers (a portable computer having a touchinterface), netbooks, laptops possibly with a wireless connection (suchas an 802.11a/b/g connection or mobile broadband connection, such as viaa 3G or 4G wireless network). Personal computers 125 may be any computer(e.g., desktop computers, laptop computers, netbooks, tablet computers,Internet-enabled television devices, etc.) connected to network 140. POSdevices 130 can be any device used as a checkout for a merchant. Forexample, POS device 130 can be a terminal located at the merchant, acomputer-based interface such as a webpage or custom application, atelephone payment system, and others. Image capture device 130 can beany device (e.g, camera, scanner, etc.) capable of capturing an imageand communicating with network 140.

Banking network 145 may include any number of membership organizations,banks, credit unions, or other financial institutions. In accordancewith embodiments of the present invention, banking network 145 can use avariety of interaction methods, protocols, and systems. For example,banking network 145 can use any of the automated clearing house (ACH)networks. An ACH network may be operated by NACHA (previously referredto as the National Automated Clearing House Association). Another ACHnetwork may be the Electronic Payments Network (EPN). These ACH networksmay interact to settle ACH transactions involving a party that has arelationship with only NACHA's ACH network or only the EPN. Otherbanking networks, such as CIRRUS, NYCE, and PULSE may also be used.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, banking network 145 can be communicablycoupled to one or more databases such as financial account database 150and member database 155. These databases can have a variety ofinformation that can be utilized by the check processing systems. Forexample, financial account database 155 includes account information formembers of a financial institution. Member database 155 storesinformation about members (or customers) of a membership organization(or financial institution). For example, membership database 155 caninclude information such as employer, total balance of all accounts heldat the membership organization, credit ratings, home ownershipinformation, annual salary, length of membership, and/or otherinformation. In some embodiments, these two databases can be integratedinto one database. A computer system associated with a membershiporganization, a bank, a credit union, or other financial institutionwithin banking network 145 may be able to access these (and other)databases for account information, customer information, and otherstored information.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of check 200 with a 2D barcode 205 thatcan be used in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention. Check 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes check number 210,owner identifying section 215 which has information such as a name,address, and phone number of the account owner. Check 200 also includesdate line 220, payee field 225, amount block 230, amount line 235, bankidentification section 240, memo line 245, signature line 250, and MICRcode 255.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components that can beincluded in a check processing system 300 in accordance with variousembodiments of the present invention. According to the embodiments shownin FIG. 3, the check processing system 300 can include memory 310, oneor more processors 320, image receiving module 330, processing module340, estimation module 350, adjustment module 360, accounting module370, information module 380, and GUI generation module 390. Otherembodiments of the present invention may include some, all, or none ofthese modules and components along with other modules, applications,and/or components. Still yet, some embodiments may incorporate two ormore of these modules into a single module and/or associate a portion ofthe functionality of one or more of these modules with a differentmodule.

For example, in one embodiment, the functionality associated withestimation module 350 and adjustment module 360 can be incorporated intoa single image improvement module. As another example, in oneembodiment, the estimation module 350 can be separated into a rotationalestimation module to estimate rotational distortions, a scalingestimation module to estimate scaling distortions, a color estimationmodule to estimate color distortions such as brightness and contrast,and a quantization estimation module to estimate quantizationdistortions. Moreover, the output of these modules can be a moreaccurate electronic image of the check or a set of characteristics orparameters providing information to correct the image submitted by theuser.

Memory 310 can be any device, mechanism, or populated data structureused for storing information. In accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention, memory 310 can encompass any type of, but is notlimited to, volatile memory, nonvolatile memory and dynamic memory. Forexample, memory 310 can be random access memory, memory storage devices,optical memory devices, media magnetic media, floppy disks, magnetictapes, hard drives, SIMMs, SDRAM, DIMMs, RDRAM, DDR RAM, SODIMMS,erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EEPROMs), compact disks, DVDs, and/orthe like. In accordance with some embodiments, memory 310 may includeone or more disk drives, flash drives, one or more databases, one ormore tables, one or more files, local cache memories, processor cachememories, relational databases, flat databases, and/or the like. Inaddition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate manyadditional devices and techniques for storing information which can beused as memory 310.

Memory 310 may be used to store instructions for running one or moreapplications or modules on processor(s) 320. For example, memory 310could be used in one or more embodiments to house all or some of theinstructions needed to execute the functionality of image receivingmodule 330, processing module 340, estimation module 350, adjustmentmodule 360, accounting module 370, information module 380, and GUIgeneration module 390.

Image receiving module 330 is configured to receive a digital image of acheck that has been remotely captured by a user (e.g., using a camera ona mobile phone). The digital image can be captured at dedicatedterminals 110, an ATM in ATM networks 115, mobile devices 120, personalcomputers 125, point of sale (POS) devices 130, and/or other imagecapture devices 135. The digital image of the captured check includes a2D barcode with embedded positional information of one or more checkfeatures (e.g., date line 220, payee field 225, amount block 230, amountline 235, bank identification section 240, memo line 245, signature line250, and MICR code 255). In some embodiments, image receiving module 330can request additional images of the check from the user (e.g., if thecheck image cannot be successfully processed).

Processing module 340 decodes the positional information embedded withinthe 2D barcode and optically identifies the one or more check featureson the digital image of the check. The positional information caninclude the location, size of, and/or distance between any two elementsof a check. Examples of positional information include, but are notlimited to, a size of the check, a distance to a signature line on thecheck, a distance to one or more edges of the check, a distance from anedge of the check to the top, bottom, start, or end of a magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR) code, and a distance to amount block on thecheck. In some embodiments, the processing module 340 retrieves a set ofpositional information from a database containing information about thecheck features and/or size of the check.

Estimation module 350 generates estimated positional information of theone or more check features that were optically identified and determinesa set of rotational and scaling adjustments. In one or more embodiments,estimation module 350 determines the edges of the digital image andidentifies one or more check features. From this a distance estimationalgorithm can be used to estimate the location and/or positioninformation based on the digital image. In accordance with variousembodiments, the set of rotational and scaling adjustments can bedetermined by comparing the estimated positional information with thepositional information of the one or more check features. Adjustmentmodule 360 applies the set of rotational and scaling adjustments to thedigital image of the check to produce a more accurate representation ofthe check. In other embodiments, additional adjustments can be made toproduce a more accurate representation of the check. For example, the 2Dbarcode can contain color information which allows for color adjustmentsto reduce or eliminate some or all of the color distortion in thedigital image.

The more accurate representation of the check can be electronicallyprocessed using accounting module 370. In some embodiments, accountingmodule 370 deposits funds from the account associated with the checkinto a desired user account (e.g., specified through a user interfacescreen). Information module 380 gathers information about the user and auser account where funds from the check will be deposited. In somecases, information module 380 can access account and member informationfrom financial account database 150 and member database 155. GUIgeneration module 390 can generate one or more user interface screensdesigned to receive user inputs, digital images of a check, selectaccounts for deposit, and/or process other requests from the user.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a set of exemplary operations 400for electronically processing a digital image of a check in accordancewith some embodiments of the present invention. The electronic checkprocessing system can receive a digital image of a check with a 2Dbarcode during image receiving operation 410. Image processing operation420 generates a more accurate representation of the remotely captureddigital image of a check submitted by a user that was received inreceiving operation 410. As described in more detail in FIG. 5, theremotely captured digital image of a check can have a 2D barcode toprovide necessary information about one or more check parameters orfeatures. According to some embodiments, image processing operation 420uses the 2D barcode to transform the remotely captured electronicimage(s) into a more accurate representation of the actual check. Forexample, the more accurate image can have improvements in geometricdistortions, enlarged portions, reduced portions, rotational offsets,color distortions, and others distortions found in the submitted imageof the check.

Evaluation operation 430 evaluates the probability of successfulprocessing of the more accurate image of the check generated by imageprocessing operation 420.

The probability of success can be based on any number of factors usingan automated image evaluation system. For example, evaluation operation430 can evaluate the probability of successful processing on one or moreof the following features the image resolution, image type (e.g., colorimage, tonal image, or grayscale image), dynamic range, file size,compression scheme, document attributes and features (e.g., amount, MICRcode, etc), and others. In some embodiments, the evaluation can be basedon a set of criteria set forth in the 2D barcode. In some cases, the 2Dbarcode may indicate that the check is not eligible for image processingin which case this can be communicated to the user through graphicaluser interface screen.

If evaluation operation 430 determines that the probability ofsuccessful processing is not probable (e.g., below a preset threshold orscore generated by the evaluation process), operation 430 branches toreceiving operation 410 to receive one or more additional images of thecheck that have been remotely captured by the user. If evaluationoperation 430 determines that the probability of successful processingis likely (e.g., above the preset threshold), evaluation operation 430branches to electronic processing operation 440.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, electronic processingoperation 440 processes the check using the banking network systems. Insome cases, the electronic processing is done using a routing transitnumber found on the check. A confirmation can be received duringindicator operation 450 indicating the success or failure of theelectronic processing of the more accurate representation of the digitalimage. This information can be recorded along with a copy of the digitalimage and later used to during statistical analysis operation 460 forcreating processing statistics and for the development and testing ofother evaluation criteria, methods, and systems.

In some embodiments, these statistics can be used to identify faultyequipment (e.g., ATM or dedicated kiosk) when the success percentagesare less than expected. In addition, some embodiments allow forstatistical evaluation of users. This can be used, for example, toinitially request multiple images from the user if a determination ismade that multiple images will likely be needed, based on historicalinformation, from the user. Still yet, various embodiments use thestatistical information and captured images to provide a customizedtutorial to the user to correct the problems commonly experienced bythat specific user.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a set of exemplary operations 500for generating a more accurate representation of a check in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present invention. During receivingoperation 510 a digital image of a check can be received. The digitalimage of the check can be remotely captured by the user using a camerain a mobile device, an ATM, a personal computer, a point of sale device,a dedicated terminal, or another image capture device. The digital imagecan then be transferred through a network to an electronic checkprocessing system.

The remotely captured digital image of the check can have a 2D barcodethat provides information about one or more check parameters orfeatures. In some embodiments, the information is positional informationof one or more check features such as, but not limited to, a signatureline, a date line, a memo line, a check number, a MICR code, an amountline, and/or an amount block. The positional information can include anabsolute position within the check in inches, centimeters, millimeters,or other measurement unit. In some cases, the positional informationprovides a distance between two check features, points on the check,and/or edges of the check. As other examples, the positional informationcan include a size of the check, a distance to a signature line on thecheck, a distance to one or more edges of the check, a distance from anedge of the check to the top, bottom, start, or end of a magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR) code, and/or a distance to amount block onthe check

Decoding operation 520 reads the 2D barcode and decodes positionalinformation of one or more check features embedded within the 2Dbarcode. In some embodiments, the barcode can also include additionalinformation such as color information that can be used toimprove/correct color distortions within the digital image. Duringidentification operation 530, one or more check features on the digitalimage of the check submitted by the user can be identified (e.g., usingoptical character recognition technology). From the identified checkfeatures, a set of estimated positional information can be producedduring estimation operation 540.

The estimated positional information can be compared with the positionalinformation retrieved from the 2D barcode. From this a set of rotationaland scaling adjustments can be determined during adjustmentdetermination operation 550. These adjustments can be applied to thedigital image of the check supplied by the user to generate a moreaccurate representation of the check during adjustment applicationoperation 560.

Exemplary Computer System Overview

Embodiments of the present invention include various steps andoperations, which have been described above. A variety of these stepsand operations may be performed by hardware components or may beembodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to causea general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with theinstructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, the steps may beperformed by a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Assuch, FIG. 6 is an example of a computer system 600 with whichembodiments of the present invention may be utilized. According to thepresent example, the computer system includes a bus 605, at least oneprocessor 610, at least one communication port 615, a main memory 620, aremovable storage media 625, a read only memory 630, and a mass storage635.

Processor(s) 610 can be any known processor, such as, but not limitedto, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2® processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® orAthlon MP® processor(s), or Motorola® lines of processors. Communicationport(s) 615 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem baseddialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, or a Gigabit port usingcopper or fiber. Communication port(s) 615 may be chosen depending on anetwork such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or anynetwork to which the computer system 600 connects.

Main memory 620 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamicstorage device(s) commonly known in the art. Read only memory 630 can beany static storage device(s) such as Programmable Read Only Memory(PROM) chips for storing static information such as instructions forprocessor 610.

Mass storage 635 can be used to store information and instructions. Forexample, hard disks such as the Adaptec® family of SCSI drives, anoptical disc, an array of disks such as RAID, such as the Adaptec familyof RAID drives, or any other mass storage devices may be used.

Bus 605 communicatively couples processor(s) 610 with the other memory,storage and communication blocks. Bus 605 can be a PCI/PCI-X or SCSIbased system bus depending on the storage devices used.

Removable storage media 625 can be any kind of external hard-drives,floppy drives, IOMEGA® Zip Drives, Compact Disc-Read Only Memory(CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Re-Writable (CD-RW), Digital Video Disk-Read OnlyMemory (DVD-ROM).

The components described above are meant to exemplify some types ofpossibilities. In no way should the aforementioned examples limit thescope of the invention, as they are only exemplary embodiments.

Terminology

Brief definitions of terms, abbreviations, and phrases used throughoutthis application are given below.

The terms “connected” or “coupled” and related terms are used in anoperational sense and are not necessarily limited to a direct physicalconnection or coupling. Thus, for example, two devices may be coupleddirectly, or via one or more intermediary media or devices. As anotherexample, devices may be coupled in such a way that information can bepassed therebetween, while not sharing any physical connection with oneanother. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate a variety of ways in which connection orcoupling exists in accordance with the aforementioned definition.

The phrases “in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “inthe embodiments shown,” “in other embodiments,” and the like generallymean the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following thephrase is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention,and may be included in more than one embodiment of the presentinvention. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to thesame embodiments or different embodiments.

If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”,“could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, thatparticular component or feature is not required to be included or havethe characteristic.

The term “responsive” includes completely or partially responsive.

The term “module” refers broadly to a software, hardware, or firmware(or any combination thereof) component. Modules are typically functionalcomponents that can generate useful data or other output using specifiedinput(s). A module may or may not be self-contained. An applicationprogram (also called an “application”) may include one or more modules,or a module can include one or more application programs.

The term “network” generally refers to a group of interconnected devicescapable of exchanging information. A network may be as few as severalpersonal computers on a Local Area Network (LAN) or as large as theInternet, a worldwide network of computers. As used herein “network” isintended to encompass any network capable of transmitting informationfrom one entity to another. In some cases, a network may be comprised ofmultiple networks, even multiple heterogeneous networks, such as one ormore border networks, voice networks, broadband networks, financialnetworks, service provider networks, Internet Service Provider (ISP)networks, and/or Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs),interconnected via gateways operable to facilitate communicationsbetween and among the various networks.

Embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computerprogram product which may include a machine-readable medium havingstored thereon instructions which may be used to program a computer (orother electronic devices) to perform a process. The machine-readablemedium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, opticaldisks, compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-opticaldisks, ROMs, random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmableread-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmableread-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory,or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storingelectronic instructions. Moreover, embodiments of the present inventionmay also be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein theprogram may be transferred from a remote computer to a requestingcomputer by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or otherpropagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or networkconnection).

While, for convenience, embodiments of the present invention aredescribed with reference to processing a single image of a check,embodiments of the present invention are equally applicable to variousother documents. In addition, embodiments of the present invention arealso applicable to processing multiple images or video captures of acheck or document to produce a more accurate image for processing. Forexample, a user may take multiple images of a check. This could be atthe request of the system or supplied without prompting by the user. Thesystem can then process the images and create a composite image (e.g.,using the 2D barcodes and signal processing techniques) which can beused to decrease the non-conforming image percentage.

Also, for the sake of illustration, various embodiments of the presentinvention have herein been described in the context of computerprograms, physical components, and logical interactions within moderncomputer networks. Importantly, while these embodiments describe variousaspects of the invention in relation to modern computer networks andprograms, the method and apparatus described herein are equallyapplicable to other systems, devices, and networks as one skilled in theart will appreciate. As such, the illustrated applications of theembodiments of the present invention are not meant to be limiting, butinstead exemplary. Other systems, devices, and networks to whichembodiments of the present invention are applicable include, but are notlimited to, other types of communication and computer devices andsystems. More specifically, embodiments are applicable to communicationsystems, services, and devices such as cell phone networks andcompatible devices. In addition, embodiments are applicable to alllevels of computing from the personal computer to large networkmainframes and servers.

In conclusion, the present invention provides novel systems, methods andarrangements for systems and methods to electronically process digitalimages of checks. While detailed descriptions of one or more embodimentsof the invention have been given above, various alternatives,modifications, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in theart without varying from the spirit of the invention. For example, whilethe embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scopeof this invention also includes embodiments having differentcombinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of thedescribed features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variationsas fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalentsthereof. Therefore, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appendedclaims.

1. A method comprising: receiving a digital image of a check that hasbeen remotely captured by a user, the digital image of the checkincluding a two-dimensional (2D) barcode that includes embeddedpositional information of one or more check features; decoding thepositional information embedded within the 2D barcode of the one or morecheck features; optically identifying the one or more check features onthe digital image of the check; generating, using a processor, estimatedpositional information for the one or more check features that wereoptically identified; determining a set of rotational and scalingadjustments by comparing the estimated positional information with thepositional information of the one or more check features; and applyingthe set of rotational and scaling adjustments to the digital image ofthe check to produce a more accurate representation of the check.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising electronically processing the moreaccurate representation of the check using a routing transit numberfound on the check.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or morecheck features include a signature line, a date line, a memo line, acheck number, a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) code, anamount line, or an amount block.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein thepositional information embedded within the 2D barcode includes a size ofthe check, a distance to a signature line on the check, a distance toone or more edges of the check, a distance from an edge of the check tothe top, bottom, start, or end of a magnetic ink character recognition(MICR) code, and a distance to an amount block on the check.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the 2D barcode also includes one or morecheck parameters and the method further comprises: decoding the one ormore check parameters embedded within the 2D barcode; and verifying theone or more check parameters that were decoded during the processing ofthe check.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the check parametersinclude an account indicator if the check is drawn from a businessaccount or a personal account, a maximum amount allowed on the check,account information, a government identifier, or an electronicwatermark.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein account holder informationis also embedded in the 2D barcode and the method further comprises:decoding the account holder information embedded within the 2D barcode;and presenting the account holder information to a recipient of thecheck via a point of sale device.
 8. A system comprising: an imagereceiving module to receive a digital image of a check that has beenremotely captured by a user, wherein the digital image of the checkincludes a two-dimensional (2D) barcode that contains embeddedpositional information of one or more check features; a processingmodule to decode the positional information embedded within the 2Dbarcode of the one or more check features and optically identify the oneor more check features on the digital image of the check; an estimationmodule to generate estimated positional information of the one or morecheck features that were optically identified and determine a set ofrotational and scaling adjustments by comparing the estimated positionalinformation with the positional information of the one or more checkfeatures; and an adjustment module to apply the set of rotational andscaling adjustments to the digital image of the check to produce a moreaccurate representation of the check.
 9. The system of claim 8, furthercomprising: an account database having stored thereon a plurality offinancial accounts of members of a membership organization, wherein theuser is a member of the membership organization and can make depositsinto a user account that is one of the plurality of financial accountsassociated with the user; and an accounting module to electronicallyprocess the more accurate representation of the check and deposit fundsfrom the check into the user account.
 10. The system of claim 8, furthercomprising an information module to gather information about the userand a user account where funds from the check will be deposited.
 11. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the one or more check features include asignature line, a date line, a memo line, a check number, a magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR) code, an amount line, or an amount block.12. The system of claim 8, wherein the positional information embeddedwithin the 2D barcode includes a size of the check, a distance to asignature line on the check, a distance to one or more edges of thecheck, a distance from an edge of the check to the top, bottom, start,or end of a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) code, and adistance to an amount block on the check.
 13. The system of claim 8,wherein the 2D barcode also includes one or more check parameters andaccount holder information, the system further comprises: a decodingmodule to decode the one or more check parameters and account holderinformation embedded within the 2D barcode; a verification module toverify, during the processing of the check, the one or more checkparameters that were decoded; and a point of sale device to present theaccount holder information to a recipient of the check.
 14. The systemof claim 13, wherein the check parameters include an account indicatorif the check is drawn from a business account or a personal account, amaximum amount allowed on the check, account information, a governmentidentifier, or an electronic watermark.
 15. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions tocause one or more processors to: receive a digital image of a check thathas been remotely captured by a user, the digital image of the checkincluding a two-dimensional (2D) barcode that includes embeddedpositional information of one or more check features; decode thepositional information embedded within the 2D barcode of the one or morecheck features; optically identify the one or more check features on thedigital image of the check; generate estimated positional informationfor the one or more check features that were optically identified;determine a set of rotational and scaling adjustments by comparing theestimated positional information with the positional information of theone or more check features; and apply the set of rotational and scalingadjustments to the digital image of the check to produce a more accuraterepresentation of the check.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions furthercause the one or more processors to electronically process the moreaccurate representation of the check using a routing transit numberfound on the check.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium of claim 16, wherein the one or more check features include asignature line, a date line, a memo line, a check number, a magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR) code, an amount line, or an amount block.18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15,wherein the positional information embedded within the 2D barcodeincludes a size of the check, a distance to a signature line on thecheck, a distance to one or more edges of the check, a distance from anedge of the check to the top, bottom, start, or end of a magnetic inkcharacter recognition (MICR) code, and a distance to an amount block onthe check.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 15, wherein the 2D barcode also includes one or more checkparameters and the set of instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to: decode the one or more check parameters embedded withinthe 2D barcode; and verify the one or more check parameters that weredecoded during the processing of the check.
 20. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein account holderinformation is also embedded in the 2D barcode and the set ofinstructions further cause the one or more processors to: decode theaccount holder information embedded within the 2D barcode; and presentthe account holder information to a recipient of the check via a pointof sale device.